Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Registration Application Publication No. 6-79661 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-75126, for example, describe a method for fixing a license plate to a bumper face of a vehicle, such as an automobile. According to this method, a recess is formed in a front surface of the bumper face, and the license plate is fitted into the recess and fixed to the bumper face with bolts.
In some countries, it is not mandatory to have a license plate mounted on a vehicle. In such a country, if the license plate is removed from the vehicle according to, for example, Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Registration Application Publication No. 6-79661, the recess becomes exposed and stands out, which degrades the appearance of the vehicle body.
Accordingly, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-87615, for example, describes a method for securing a license plate without forming a recess in a bumper face. In this method, a license base, which is a separate component, is attached to the bumper face with bolts, and the license plate is fixed to a front surface of the license base with bolts.
According to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-07615, mounting seats for the bolts need to be provided on the bumper face. Therefore, when the license plate and the license base are removed in countries where it is not mandatory to have a license plate mounted on a vehicle, the mounting seats become exposed. As a result, the appearance of the vehicle body is degraded, although not as severely as the case in which the recess is exposed.
In addition, it may be difficult to attach the mounting seats depending on the design of the bumper face. In other words, the design of the bumper face is limited when the mounting seats need to be installed, and the degree of freedom in design of the bumper face is reduced.